HAPPENING 9–13 October | The AFFR is a must for all lovers of architecture and cinema. For over a decade, Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam has delighted its visitors with cinematic portraits, critical essays as well as hilarious reflections on city and architecture.
Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam 2024
In 2024, the 16th edition of AFFR will take place from 9 to 13 October. The locations for this edition are LantarenVenster and Theater Rotterdam.
In 2024, AFFR has a new programme organised around thematic sections, and with more feature films than ever before. To help visitors choose from almost 80 prize-winning documentaries, surprising shorts, architects’ portraits and more, we have divided our programme into thematic lines: the topical Stages, the yearly recurring Paths and the AFFR Specials.
In 2024, AFFR has a new programme organised around thematic sections, and with more feature films than ever before. To help visitors choose from almost 80 prize-winning documentaries, surprising shorts, architects’ portraits and more, we have divided our programme into thematic lines: the topical Stages, the yearly recurring Paths and the AFFR Specials.
Highlights at Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam 2024
One of the standout events this year is The Masters: Chris Oddy, happening on 12th October at 20:00. Chris Oddy, the production designer behind the Oscar-winning "The Zone of Interest," will give an exclusive lecture at LantarenVenster about his work on the film. Following this, there will be a screening of The Zone of Interest at 22:00, a masterpiece that depicts the chilling life of Nazi officer Rudolf Höss, living with his family next to Auschwitz. It offers a profound contrast between the banality of family life and the atrocities of the Holocaust.
Earlier that day, starting at 12:00, The Boijmans Debate & Hanging Without Walls will delve into the renovation of the Slovak National Gallery. This gripping documentary, filled with Kafkaesque elements, features contributions from renowned figures such as Ina Klaassen and Antti Liukku. The debate reflects on the future of Rotterdam’s own beloved Boijmans Museum, making it a must-see for local art lovers.
On 11th October at 17:00, audiences will have the chance to experience the touching Brazilian documentary Samuel and the Light. The film tells the story of a young boy, Samuel, living in the remote village of Ponta Negra. As electricity arrives for the first time in their community, Samuel and his family must come to terms with how much their lives will change. The poetic imagery and raw emotional impact of this documentary make it a festival favourite.
Another highly anticipated film is Bird, screening on 13th October at 19:15. Directed by the award-winning Andrea Arnold, Bird premiered at Cannes and is now making its way to Rotterdam. The film follows the struggles of Bailey, a 12-year-old girl living in a dilapidated squat in North Kent. Her story is a poignant portrait of contemporary youth and the challenges faced by those on the margins of society.
Also noteworthy is E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea, a documentary about the famed architect Eileen Gray. Screening on 10th October at 20:15, this beautifully filmed docu-fiction explores the dramatic life of Gray and her tumultuous relationship with fellow architect Le Corbusier.
To close the festival with a bang, Santos Special: Rotterdam on the Screen will screen on 11th October at 21:00. This special event takes audiences on a cinematic journey through iconic Rotterdam locations, using film clips to celebrate the city's vibrant and diverse culture.
For complete details about the programme, check out the official AFFR website.
Earlier that day, starting at 12:00, The Boijmans Debate & Hanging Without Walls will delve into the renovation of the Slovak National Gallery. This gripping documentary, filled with Kafkaesque elements, features contributions from renowned figures such as Ina Klaassen and Antti Liukku. The debate reflects on the future of Rotterdam’s own beloved Boijmans Museum, making it a must-see for local art lovers.
On 11th October at 17:00, audiences will have the chance to experience the touching Brazilian documentary Samuel and the Light. The film tells the story of a young boy, Samuel, living in the remote village of Ponta Negra. As electricity arrives for the first time in their community, Samuel and his family must come to terms with how much their lives will change. The poetic imagery and raw emotional impact of this documentary make it a festival favourite.
Another highly anticipated film is Bird, screening on 13th October at 19:15. Directed by the award-winning Andrea Arnold, Bird premiered at Cannes and is now making its way to Rotterdam. The film follows the struggles of Bailey, a 12-year-old girl living in a dilapidated squat in North Kent. Her story is a poignant portrait of contemporary youth and the challenges faced by those on the margins of society.
Also noteworthy is E.1027 – Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea, a documentary about the famed architect Eileen Gray. Screening on 10th October at 20:15, this beautifully filmed docu-fiction explores the dramatic life of Gray and her tumultuous relationship with fellow architect Le Corbusier.
To close the festival with a bang, Santos Special: Rotterdam on the Screen will screen on 11th October at 21:00. This special event takes audiences on a cinematic journey through iconic Rotterdam locations, using film clips to celebrate the city's vibrant and diverse culture.
For complete details about the programme, check out the official AFFR website.
About AFFR
The Rotterdam Architecture Film Festival explores the relationship between film, city, and architecture by programming and screening films and organizing introductions and debates. In the past decade, AFFR has grown into a leading international platform for films about architecture, urban development and the built environment. The festival is firmly rooted in Rotterdam's cultural circuit, it enjoys great national fame and it has an enormous international network. AFFR not only brings together a broad audience from Rotterdam, but also city lovers, students, researchers, designers and film-makers from the rest of the world, who will discuss the present, past, and future of the city with each other.
The foundation Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) was founded in 2000. That year, the first architecture film festival was organized. It wasn't just the first in Rotterdam, but the first of its kind in the world. Full editions followed in 2001 and 2003. In 2007 AFFR made a fresh start and in 2009 the festival expanded considerably in both visitor numbers and breadth of programming.
An architecture film is broadly about the meaning of city and architecture. It portrays cities, buildings, and their designers; shows that architecture cannot be understood without its surroundings or explores the role the city plays in our daily lives. In which not infrequently architects and urban planners turn out to be powerless gods and their designs, once realized, acquire very different meanings and functions than anticipated.
The foundation Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) was founded in 2000. That year, the first architecture film festival was organized. It wasn't just the first in Rotterdam, but the first of its kind in the world. Full editions followed in 2001 and 2003. In 2007 AFFR made a fresh start and in 2009 the festival expanded considerably in both visitor numbers and breadth of programming.
An architecture film is broadly about the meaning of city and architecture. It portrays cities, buildings, and their designers; shows that architecture cannot be understood without its surroundings or explores the role the city plays in our daily lives. In which not infrequently architects and urban planners turn out to be powerless gods and their designs, once realized, acquire very different meanings and functions than anticipated.
